Jet Kayak Hits 35mph

What do you get when you cross a jet ski with a kayak? The Jet Kayak. Waterfall jumper Shaun Baker and his engineering friend Andy Selway crammed a 45 horse power motor and a Yamaha jet ski impeller into a kayak, mounting everything on a custom frame inside. The motor draws air through two car exhaust pipes and expels waste through a third. The power is then fed to the modified impeller which forces water through it’s body to push the kayak to a maximum 35mph.

That speed might not sound like much, but see the video from UK show Top Gear at the end of the post to see what it really looks like. Baker, who holds several records for jumping off waterfalls, controls the whole thing with a paddle. A finger throttle is mounted on the shaft, and steering is done the old fashioned way, although at 30mph dipping the paddle too far can cause a flip.